Is Montreal Unique Among Canadian Cities?

[wasteofo2]

I'm a New Yorker, and I visited Montreal this summer on vacation, and I just wanted to know how it compared to other Canadian cities.

So, could some friendly Canadians tell me whether or not most of the things I noted about Montreal are common to other Canadian cities?

- It seemed like every single person was smoking cigarettes, and every restaurant allowed smoking inside. I know you guys get crap from Americans for being too socialist, but in New York there are way tighter restrictions on smoking, and I can't stand the smell of cigarettes.

- The total tax I payed on everything was around 15%, as opposed to the 8% I pay in NY.

- No Deli's.

- Hip-hop seemed to not be popular.

- Lots of homeless people, like one every 3 blocks or so in the nice areas.

Also, I was wondering what gasoline prices were in the great white North, and if your government purposely polluted CO2 in order to more quickly bring about global warming.

 

[The_Professional]

- The total tax I payed on everything was around 15%, as opposed to the 8% I pay in NY.

8.75% sales tax and that's also very high

 

[check]

Ok, well first of all, Montreal and Quebec in general are very different from the rest of Canada.

I’ll describe Ontario because it’s where I live.

- No smoking in bars or restaurants at all (in most major cities)
- Drinking age 19
- Tax (GST and PST) = 15%
- Hip Hop’s popularity varies greatly with where you go
- Delis aren’t that hard to find
- Homelessness is a big problem, but it’s probably most visible in Toronto

But yeah, you can’t really judge Canada or say that you’ve been here unless you visit a broad range of places, as you would have to in order to make a similar claim about the US.

 

[iansmith]

- It seemed like every single person was smoking cigarettes, and every restaurant allowed smoking inside. I know you guys get crap from Americans for being too socialist, but in New York there are way tighter restrictions on smoking, and I can't stand the smell of cigarettes.

There is not law for no-smoking in restaurant in the province yet but some restaurent have started to ban smoking. Other province in Canada have other legistation

- The total tax I payed on everything was around 15%, as opposed to the 8% I pay in NY.

That is the norm in Canada except Alberta. You have the federal tax (7%) and the provincial tax (8%). If your from the outside the country, your taxe can be reimbursed at a designated placed.

- No Deli's.

You sure you visited montreal.

- Hip-hop seemed to not be popular.

Unfortuane but there a large part of the yound generation that like the music and like to go downtown montreal to blast their car audio system

- Lots of homeless people, like one every 3 blocks or so in the nice areas.

Montreal is the major city in the province, so it attracts a lot of people especially teenager which do not work. I'm in Halifax now, and see several homeless guy but it is not as bad as downtown montreal.

Also, I was wondering what gasoline prices were in the great white North, and if your government purposely polluted CO2 in order to more quickly bring about global warming.

Canada ratified Kyoto and the gaz price in Halifax is between 90 to 94 cents per litres.

 

[fourier jr]

- It seemed like every single person was smoking cigarettes, and every restaurant allowed smoking inside. I know you guys get crap from Americans for being too socialist, but in New York there are way tighter restrictions on smoking, and I can't stand the smell of cigarettes.

Manitoba (north of Minnesota) is already a non-smoking province, and I think New Brunswick (north of Maine) is considering doing the same thing. Victoria (west coast, capital of BC) is a non-smoking metro area. The only places people can smoke are in their own house & their own car. I think making BC a non-smoking province has also come up, but we're not as far along as NB is.

 

[jimmy p]

- The total tax I payed on everything was around 15%, as opposed to the 8% I pay in NY.

Dont come to the UK then... VAT here is 17.5%

 

[tumor]

Montreal I hear is a very nice city(never been there, just flying thru)
Toronto(centre of the universe) ,nothing really speciall about it looks like one big suburb or poor cousin to Chicago.(if you don't have medicall insurance don't mention anything negative about Toronto to the torontonians )
Vancouver is the best of them all,ocean,mountains climat is excellent.
Halifax is also pretty cool city.
Yeah! they are going too far with the smoking bans,(no smoking in the bar/pub while sipping beer, I can't imagine -pure essence of live )

 

[kawikdx225]

I'm a New Yorker, and I visited Montreal this summer on vacation, and I just wanted to know how it compared to other Canadian cities.

So, could some friendly Canadians tell me whether or not most of the things I noted about Montreal are common to other Canadian cities?

- It seemed like every single person was smoking cigarettes, and every restaurant allowed smoking inside. I know you guys get crap from Americans for being too socialist, but in New York there are way tighter restrictions on smoking, and I can't stand the smell of cigarettes.

- The total tax I payed on everything was around 15%, as opposed to the 8% I pay in NY.

- No Deli's.

- Hip-hop seemed to not be popular.

- Lots of homeless people, like one every 3 blocks or so in the nice areas.

Also, I was wondering what gasoline prices were in the great white North, and if your government purposely polluted CO2 in order to more quickly bring about global warming.

Hard to believe a lot of Americans want to become more like Canada!
Come visit New Hampshire next time, we pay 0.000% sales tax.

 

[wasteofo2]

Hard to believe a lot of Americans want to become more like Canada!
Come visit New Hampshire next time, we pay 0.000% sales tax.

How does the state government make income? Do you have ridiculously high taxes in other areas, or do you just have a very limited government in NH?

I'm not opposed to paying high taxes, so long as paying higher taxes actually helps people. If my high taxe rate gives poor people free medical care, I'm fine with that, so long as the government is honest and doesn't pander the money.

 

[JasonRox]

Hard to believe a lot of Americans want to become more like Canada!
Come visit New Hampshire next time, we pay 0.000% sales tax.

We pay zero in medical bills. We pay zero taxes when we win at lotteries/casinos. We have no highway tolls. We pay very little in tuition. In fact, McGill University, which is in MONTREAL, (a world reknown university) has their tuition fees at $2000CDN, which is nothing compared to the corporate owned school system in the US.

Hmm... what would you choose?

Canada is great. The US isn't an option for me.

You're complaining about Canada and its pollution. Where are you from? The US. I wouldn't talk. In fact, I wouldn't show my face when it comes to pollution.

Smoking is not common at all, or atleast not around here, which is Niagara Falls, Ontario.

The real question is...

Is Buffalo like every city in the US? I mean is there cops everywhere! Is there people looking around constantly like you are going to pull a gun on them?

Note: Who said the hip hop attitude is good? You're making it sound like not having is bad. I think its good that it isn't so big over here. I don't really enjoy seeing people walking like they have a broken leg if you know what I mean.

 

[fourier jr]

^^^ to add to that...
how many millions of people in the US have no health insurance?
how many in Canada? zero
compared with Canada, the US is almost like a 3rd-world country when it comes to inequality, etc. We don't need SATs, for example, because there isn't really such a thing as "good school" & "bad school" since all schools are pretty much the same, and so are universities. A university might specialize in one thing or another, so it might make a difference what grad school you go to, but undergrad degrees are all pretty similar across the country. There also aren't really any schools for the "rich kids" or "establishment" or whatever.

Canada IS a 3rd-world country (not LIKE one) when it comes to other stuff though, like foreign ownership & domination, virtually no industrialization, staple-exporting economy, etc. (& I'm not proud of it)

 

[wasteofo2]

You're complaining about Canada and its pollution. Where are you from? The US. I wouldn't talk. In fact, I wouldn't show my face when it comes to pollution.

Smoking is not common at all, or atleast not around here, which is Niagara Falls, Ontario.

The real question is...

Is Buffalo like every city in the US? I mean is there cops everywhere! Is there people looking around constantly like you are going to pull a gun on them?

Note: Who said the hip hop attitude is good? You're making it sound like not having is bad. I think its good that it isn't so big over here. I don't really enjoy seeing people walking like they have a broken leg if you know what I mean.

Woah hombre, I'm not trying to get peoplpe arguing about which country is superior, just trying to figure out what the rest of Canada is like compared to Montreal and New York.

I don't think anyone said anything about pollution actually, only me saying lots of people smoked in Montreal...

And I don't think the real question is "Is buffalo like every city in the US?", that wasn't what I was trying to figure out. You're taking a really argumentative approach to this, I'm not trying to put Canada down or say they're inferorior or anything.

And I don't think the Hip Hop attitude is a good thing, I liked not seeing/hearing hip-hop people in Montreal.

 

[tumor]

^^^ to add to that...
how many millions of people in the US have no health insurance?
how many in Canada? zero
compared with Canada, the US is almost like a 3rd-world country when it comes to inequality, etc. We don't need SATs, for example, because there isn't really such a thing as "good school" & "bad school" since all schools are pretty much the same, and so are universities. A university might specialize in one thing or another, so it might make a difference what grad school you go to, but undergrad degrees are all pretty similar across the country. There also aren't really any schools for the "rich kids" or "establishment" or whatever.

Canada IS a 3rd-world country (not LIKE one) when it comes to other stuff though, like foreign ownership & domination, virtually no industrialization, staple-exporting economy, etc. (& I'm not proud of it)

I have also noticed how Canada almost does not have any reall competitive industry(except few car assembly plants). What is left is cutting trees on masssive scale,mining,farming, destructive oil production in Alberta etc.
No wonder they call Canada the Brazil of the north.

 

[JasonRox]

Woah hombre, I'm not trying to get peoplpe arguing about which country is superior, just trying to figure out what the rest of Canada is like compared to Montreal and New York.

I don't think anyone said anything about pollution actually, only me saying lots of people smoked in Montreal...

And I don't think the real question is "Is buffalo like every city in the US?", that wasn't what I was trying to figure out. You're taking a really argumentative approach to this, I'm not trying to put Canada down or say they're inferorior or anything.

And I don't think the Hip Hop attitude is a good thing, I liked not seeing/hearing hip-hop people in Montreal.

You made a statement about Canada doing CO2 pollution to get global warming and warm the country. (It is an implicit statement in your post, and not to be ignored.)

Hmm... that's not a statement about Canada's pollution control.

Put it this way.

Asking if Montreal is like the rest of Canada is like asking if Miami is like the rest of the US. The obvious answer arises.

Personally, going to Montreal will also not tell you much about Quebec either. Quebec City is a beautiful city and it is a shame you didn't pass by there.

On another note, I hope you made the attempt to speak french where it was appreciated. If not, don't worry about it since every stupid Canadian here doesn't make an effort either. It's no wonder Quebec wants to separate.

 

[wasteofo2]

You made a statement about Canada doing CO2 pollution to get global warming and warm the country. (It is an implicit statement in your post, and not to be ignored.)

OHHHHHHHHHHHH
That was supposed to be a joke, like it's too cold so your politicians promise to promote global warming and make Canada toasty, just something I thought would be funny.

Put it this way.

Asking if Montreal is like the rest of Canada is like asking if Miami is like the rest of the US. The obvious answer arises.

Personally, going to Montreal will also not tell you much about Quebec either. Quebec City is a beautiful city and it is a shame you didn't pass by there.

On another note, I hope you made the attempt to speak french where it was appreciated. If not, don't worry about it since every stupid Canadian here doesn't make an effort either. It's no wonder Quebec wants to separate.

Alright, you don't have to get so defensive, I was just trying to figure out what the differences were...

 

[i_wish_i_was_smart]

first thing you have to remember when steping in Quebec is that it like steping inside another country IN Canada, same like steping in Montreal is like another province IN Quebec, you can't compare cities here, there are all too different, Vancouver is Asian heaven, signs in some places are written in Manderine, Calgary/Edmonton are hick hillybilly towns of Canada, Regina Saskatoon are farming cities, Winipeg has its problems, Ottawa is our Capital NOT Toronto, Toronto is the eastern immigrant paradise, right before Montreal, Quebec City are all sepratist

Alberta and Quebec have pretty much the exact same views except one is an English province the other is a french one

now I grossly generalized, but that's the best answer i can come up with as far as cities go, and I HAVE been and spent time in all those cities so i am not making a blind generalization

 

[kawikdx225]

We pay zero in medical bills. We pay zero taxes when we win at lotteries/casinos. We have no highway tolls. We pay very little in tuition. In fact, McGill University, which is in MONTREAL, (a world reknown university) has their tuition fees at $2000CDN, which is nothing compared to the corporate owned school system in the US.

You say you pay zero medical bills! lol What percentage of your paycheck goes to your government? How much tax do you pay for gasoline?, cigarettes? The difference is we get to choose our medical, your government chooses it for you but we both pay one way or another. Most Americans like choices.

Hmm... what would you choose?

USA no question.

Canada is great. The US isn't an option for me.

No problem here with that.

Even with your high taxes you have no Military, good thing for you Canada borders the US.

How does the state government make income? Do you have ridiculously high taxes in other areas, or do you just have a very limited government in NH?

Property tax is high. This way a person has a choice as to how much tax they pay. A big house on lottsa land = high tax. small house = low tax.

We also pay local taxes for things like auto registration.

Live free or Die!

 

[wasteofo2]

Property tax is high. This way a person has a choice as to how much tax they pay. A big house on lottsa land = high tax. small house = low tax.

We also pay local taxes for things like auto registration.

Live free or Die!

I rather like that idea, are taxes on luxury items like cars equally high as you get more and more expensive cars?

 

[Gokul43201]

- Hip-hop seemed to not be popular.

Woohooo...I'm going to move to Montreal !

 

[tumor]

Most of Canadians still life in igloos.

 

[punjabi_monster]

the igloos here in Canada are very luxerious though. In mine, I even have electricity. It is great.

 

[wasteofo2]

the igloos here in Canada are very luxerious though. In mine, I even have electricity. It is great.

Do your sleigh-dogs generate your electricity, or do you get it from burning whale blubber?

 

[The_Professional]

There was a rumor of impending invasion of Canada which will be started by US Navy Seals creating a huge explosion on one of the beaches tricking the opposing force into a normandy style invasion, but will actually be an airborne paratrooper insertion at night

 

[tumor]

Do your sleigh-dogs generate your electricity, or do you get it from burning whale blubber?

What electricity?

 

[kawikdx225]

I rather like that idea, are taxes on luxury items like cars equally high as you get more and more expensive cars?

Most purchases are not taxed by the state including cars.
A small government doesn't need a lot of money.

The property tax rate is determined by the citizens of that town by their votes on issues.
At the last town vote we voted YES on a new high school. They will get the money by raising property tax in my town. The citizens of the town knew property taxes would go up if we voted YES but enough of us (including myself) thought a new High school was needed. It's nice to have a choice.

 

[Bad_Boy_Blue]

My favourite city is Toronto (simply because that's where I come from).

 

[JasonRox]

You say you pay zero medical bills! lol What percentage of your paycheck goes to your government? How much tax do you pay for gasoline?, cigarettes? The difference is we get to choose our medical, your government chooses it for you but we both pay one way or another. Most Americans like choices.



USA no question.



No problem here with that.

Even with your high taxes you have no Military, good thing for you Canada borders the US.



Property tax is high. This way a person has a choice as to how much tax they pay. A big house on lottsa land = high tax. small house = low tax.

We also pay local taxes for things like auto registration.

Live free or Die!

If the US is so great, why does everyone complain?

 

[fourier jr]

Even with your high taxes you have no Military, good thing for you Canada borders the US.

check this quote out, from a "Canadian hero", our 1st French-Canadian Prime Minister:
"You must not take the Militia seriously, for though it is useful for suppressing internal differences, it will not be required for the defence of the country, as the Monroe Doctrine [proclaiming US military hegemony in the Americas] protects us against enemy aggression." - Wilfred Laurier, PM 1896-1911



isn't that the most pathetic thing you've ever heard? Laurier inviting an American invasion if we get invaded. & this is one of the "good guys" in Canadian history...

A small government doesn't need a lot of money.

what small government? Bush has been giving out huge subsidies to the military contractors, which is indirectly a huge subsidy to high-tech industry, biggest deficit ever by a long shot, telling gays/lesbians they can't get married, etc etc. that's all big-government stuff. i don't know where Americans get the idea that they've got small government...

 

[i_wish_i_was_smart]

Even with your high taxes you have no Military, good thing for you Canada borders the US.

the reason that we don't have as big an army is thatwe don't have them same amount of population paying taxes 32million vs 265million, therefore we have only a budget in billions of dollars, not trillions, and we do not spend trillions on our millitary either.
but we have proven time and time again that that doesn't matter, in wargames Canadians keep on kicking your asses since we don't rely on fancy advanced technology, which makes you guys not want to play wargames against us anyways, our diesel sub (the one that cought fire in the past few weeks) in a navy wargames was able to bypass an american nuclearsub and "paint" an american nuclear destroyer, another example, with all your fancy bazzoka guizmos, in a targetshoot you guys were only able to hit three out of ten targets, while your Canadian adversaries, using old anti-tank(similar to old PIAT in WW2) we were able to knock 8 out of 10 targets, now which is better, quantity or quality, i rather have a quality army

 

[deltabourne]

We pay zero in medical bills. We pay zero taxes when we win at lotteries/casinos. We have no highway tolls. We pay very little in tuition. In fact, McGill University, which is in MONTREAL, (a world reknown university) has their tuition fees at $2000CDN, which is nothing compared to the corporate owned school system in the US.

You realize that you pay for all of that through taxes, right?

Hmm... what would you choose?

America, everytime.

Canada is great. The US isn't an option for me.

The US is great. Canada isn't an option for me.

Smoking is not common at all, or atleast not around here, which is Niagara Falls, Ontario.

Yeah, right

Is Buffalo like every city in the US? I mean is there cops everywhere! Is there people looking around constantly like you are going to pull a gun on them?

I go to college in Buffalo and you obviously have no idea what you're talking about. Amherst (a suburb in Buffalo) is the safest city in America.

Note: Who said the hip hop attitude is good? You're making it sound like not having is bad. I think its good that it isn't so big over here. I don't really enjoy seeing people walking like they have a broken leg if you know what I mean.

I'd rather walk around with a broken leg than sit in a waiting room for 10 years waiting for a liver

 

[deltabourne]

If the US is so great, why does everyone complain?

People complain everywhere, moron. If you don't like it, stay out. Nobody cares about your opinion here, I assure you.

 

[i_wish_i_was_smart]

ok this is getting rediculous, obviously no one that says Amarica is number 1 has ever lived in Canada, and vice versa, you are all ignorant of the other side, i have lived in both countries, i prefer Canada, we both have our advantages and disadvantages

now its just time to stop this bull****, no one is ever going to win

 

[deltabourne]

ok this is getting rediculous, obviously no one that says Amarica is number 1 has ever lived in Canada, and vice versa, you are all ignorant of the other side, i have lived in both countries, i prefer Canada, we both have our advantages and disadvantages

now its just time to stop this bull****, no one is ever going to win

So you expect me to sit silent while some idiot Canadian spouts off about how great he thinks his country is (that is, if Montreal is even part of Canada in the next few years) and how terrible the US is? I've been to Canada and I couldn't wait to leave. Terrible place, unfriendly people.

 

[i_wish_i_was_smart]

your just doing the same ****ing thing you dumbass, you just happen to say the other point of view, besides this is WAY off topic

 

[deltabourne]

your just doing the same ****ing thing you dumbass, you just happen to say the other point of view, besides this is WAY off topic

Maybe you should blame your buddy that, since I don't see what the cost of the underfunded falling apart Canadian "healthcare" system has to do with Montreal vs. the rest of Canada